What does anthropocentric mean?
Anthropocentric describes a viewpoint that places human beings at the center of significance, value, or explanation. An anthropocentric worldview assumes that humans are the most important entities in existence, so that the natural world matters chiefly insofar as it serves human needs and interests. The term appears frequently in philosophy, theology, and especially environmental ethics, where critics contrast anthropocentric attitudes with ecocentric or biocentric ones that grant intrinsic value to nature regardless of human benefit. Historically, the word gained force after the Copernican revolution displaced Earth from the center of the cosmos, prompting reflection on whether humanity's sense of its own centrality was similarly misplaced. Today, calling an argument, policy, or belief system anthropocentric is often a critique, suggesting a parochial focus on human concerns. Its noun form, anthropocentrism, names the underlying doctrine itself. The adjective is formal in register but widely used across academic and popular science writing.
adjectiveRegarding or assuming human beings as the central element of existence, value, or explanation; interpreting the world primarily in terms of human experience and interests.
- Treating human beings as the central or most significant entity in the universe, especially in philosophy, religion, or cosmology.
- Interpreting or evaluating environmental and ethical questions solely in terms of human interests and values.
"The old anthropocentric view that the sun revolved around the earth took centuries to overturn."
"Critics argued that the policy was deeply anthropocentric, valuing forests only for their timber and recreation."
"Medieval cosmology was anthropocentric in placing humanity at the center of God's created order."
Copernicus didn't just move the Earth — he knocked humanity off its pedestal, and 'anthropocentric' is the word we use to describe everything he toppled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anthropocentric
Anthropocentric derives from Greek roots: 'anthrōpos' (ἄνθρωπος), meaning 'human being', and 'kentron' (κέντρον), meaning 'center', joined via Latinized scientific vocabulary. It emerged in English in the mid-19th century alongside related terms such as geocentric and heliocentric, which were coined to describe rival models of the cosmos. It shares its first root with words like anthropology, anthropomorphic, and anthropoid, all built on the Greek stem for humankind.
Related word forms
How anthropocentric is actually used
Formal register, common in philosophy, environmental ethics, theology, and academic writing. In environmental discourse it often carries a mildly critical connotation, implying an undue focus on human interests at the expense of nature.
Easily confused with anthropocentric
Anthropomorphic means attributing human form or traits to non-human things, while anthropocentric means treating humans as the center of importance or meaning.
Egocentric refers to an individual regarding themselves as the center, whereas anthropocentric applies to humanity as a whole being placed at the center.